Retention
It’s one thing to attract the right staff; it’s another to keep them, especially in an industry reputed to have one of the highest staff turnovers in the economy.
One of the myths attached to staff retention is that it is all about money. Study after study has proved that while remuneration is important, other factors such as job satisfaction, a positive working environment and work/life balance are actually more important.
The feeling of being valued as an employee is the bottom line of staff retention. Recognising staff value and performance is particularly important in high pressure work situations, such as in restaurants.
The challenge for the industry is to create an environment that will encourage employees to ‘stick around for a while’ and develop the skills that will assist business to flourish.
Learn (141 kb) how a regionally based small hotel dramatically reduced its staff turnover and maintained very high customer service standards
We have a responsibility to develop and provide career paths for our employees, especially if we want them to stay around and grow within the industry. Sometimes this means being prepared to see them leave to pursue career options, provided that they stay within our industry. As they say, ‘what goes around, comes around’.
Learn (33 kb) about an annual program to inspire country cooking apprentices to stay and thrive within an industry sector renowned for its poor staff retention
Thinking about working conditions and work/life balance is also important. If you can provide working conditions that fit with the rest of people’s lives, you can often expect to be repaid with enthusiasm and loyalty. For example, the structuring of some job schedules to accord with the 9am-3pm school day could open-up a whole new pool of potential employees. Some jobs may be capable of being shared between two people. It could even mean working in collaboration with businesses that might otherwise be considered competitors, especially where skills are in short supply.
Other simple measures used by some industry employers to help retention include:
- Performance bonuses, special allowances and incentives to increase employee satisfaction
- Subsidised dining and accommodation (for staff and close relatives)
- Tickets to events and other leisure activities
- Regular, formal recognition of performance and achievement (a simple 'thank you' note for a job well done can boost employee satisfaction)
- Opportunities for further training and development
We also face the challenge of quite different generations – with differing aspirations, values and practices – working side by side. How will baby boomers cope with reporting to their Generation ‘Y’ bosses of the future ? We can turn these differences to our advantage, if we are prepared to understand them, accept them and work with them.
Read more about the characteristics and aspirations of the Generation Y workforce